My Review of WOTH -- Thumbs Down

[Secret Squirrel]

Because there are people in this forum claiming WOTH has superior graphics, superior animal rendering distances, and it's a better hunting sim, I wanted give it a try.

However, I have to state my clear bias, because I wouldn't have even spent time or money on WOTH if not for curiosity. But, I did go into this expecting I would end up being a fan of both, and would wish someone would produce a hunting sim that has the best of what each product brings to the table.

But instead, I refunded the game after about 50 minutes of use. Why? Because it gave me an actual headache.

Let me be clear, I am a dev by trade and spend 10 hours a day looking at the same monitor which I play at night, and easily can spend 4hrs of gaming, and never get a headache -- and that includes dabbling in VR, where the risk of getting headache/sickness is a little higher.

It was undoubtedly due to the graphics. I was blurred and full of anti-aliasing artifacts.

Aside from that, I noticed that vegetation is just a lot thinner in that title. That is why you don't see the very obvious vegetation rendering circle. But that title also does show less vegetation at a distance.

But the main reason I didn't give it any more time, is because --aside from the headache -- it just was not fun for me.

I got as far as the mission where you hunt the badgers, and they put you in a stand and the animals take on a shooting gallery pattern. The animal animations are very basic, and their behavior is just parading in front of the stand, then when you make one shot the rest start running in circles.

I am sure if I had played longer, things would have gotten better. I wasn't willing to risk missing the refund time limit, as I had very little confidence WOTH would be something I'd use.

If it gets better I may try it again. But the majority seem to think it falls short of most expectations.

[dbond1]

One hour reviews are the best.

It's fine if you don't like it, there's no accounting for taste after all. But less than an hour is not giving it a proper go and maybe you would have felt the same, or thought it was even worse. But that's just not enough time to form a proper perspective on what the game offers. This is the COTW forum, not sure why you didn't post it in the right forum, maybe you're looking for agreement, not push back or contrary opinions.

You refunded it to get your money back, fair enough. But you also didn't give it a fair shake. You didn't even fire the .308, and that will not do haha. It's not everyone's cuppa, but I like both games and play them. Each has its strength in my view.

[misfitsailor]

I have played nearly 300 hours on WOTH, a fraction of the time I have invested in COTW. On my rig, I have to use the "Temporal" setting or else it looks grainy. Also, to play the game reasonably you need "hunter sense" on. This gives you clues, but blurs the screen, so you have to toggle it on and off. I like the graphics better on COTW, but WOTH still looks better than older hunting games like HS2. WOTH is playable, but the spooking distance is mostly unrealistic. It is harder to get consistently close to animals than IRL, so I often end up taking longer distance shots. It is true that WOTH has longer render sistances, but you will need that to make those long shots! The game gives many PCs more of a workout than COTW does, COTW looks and runs great and at lower temps. I like hunting games, and will continue to give all newcomers a chance, but COTW remains the standard for now.

[Geronimo]

I look at it this way-

I'm always hoping that some new hunting game will hit the market. And after a long wait, 2017-2022, I was excited to try WOTH out.

At first I liked it and had high hopes, but as I learned more I began to realize quickly that there were a couple of main faults that I just couldn't overlook.

Now given the length of time that CoTW had been around for comparison, you'd think that a competitor looking to jump into that market with the support of advanced technology and knowledge far above that which was available in 2017, would have at least been able to keep pace with CoTW.

But I believe that WOTH was so intent on avoiding any comparison with CoTW that they literally left out aspects of hunting that shouldn't have been.

I will never understand how a hunting game could hit the market in 2022 where the player could not actually track an animal. WTF!!!

They were their worst enemy right from the start. They had the chance to take the things that made CoTW the greatest hunting sim of all time, and improve on them, and they blew it completely.

And believe me, I gave it a good try. A few hundred hours.

I don't have much hope now for any other contenders.

[Hairy Mouse]

Originally posted by Secret Squirrel:

Because there are people in this forum claiming WOTH has superior graphics, superior animal rendering distances, and it's a better hunting sim, I wanted give it a try.

However, I have to state my clear bias, because I wouldn't have even spent time or money on WOTH if not for curiosity. But, I did go into this expecting I would end up being a fan of both, and would wish someone would produce a hunting sim that has the best of what each product brings to the table.

But instead, I refunded the game after about 50 minutes of use. Why? Because it gave me an actual headache.

Let me be clear, I am a dev by trade and spend 10 hours a day looking at the same monitor which I play at night, and easily can spend 4hrs of gaming, and never get a headache -- and that includes dabbling in VR, where the risk of getting headache/sickness is a little higher.

It was undoubtedly due to the graphics. I was blurred and full of anti-aliasing artifacts.

Aside from that, I noticed that vegetation is just a lot thinner in that title. That is why you don't see the very obvious vegetation rendering circle. But that title also does show less vegetation at a distance.

But the main reason I didn't give it any more time, is because --aside from the headache -- it just was not fun for me.

I got as far as the mission where you hunt the badgers, and they put you in a stand and the animals take on a shooting gallery pattern. The animal animations are very basic, and their behavior is just parading in front of the stand, then when you make one shot the rest start running in circles.

I am sure if I had played longer, things would have gotten better. I wasn't willing to risk missing the refund time limit, as I had very little confidence WOTH would be something I'd use.

If it gets better I may try it again. But the majority seem to think it falls short of most expectations.

Regardless of your opinion on which you personally enjoy more, most of your points are wrong. The graphics are objectively better on WOTH, perhaps there was an issue with your settings or hardware. You may like one style or map layout better, but the graphics of WOTH definitely ARE superior, and closer to photrealistic than COTW. Turn off chromatic aberration and set AA to DLSS. The game is stunning.

I believe that WOTH also has the longest render distance that I've sver seen for things like little patches of grass and small stones, where they stay on screen for 500 yards plus. The animals render distance is 1100 meters. As for animals, it has some of the most realistic and natural animations I've ever seen in a game, where they are dynamic according to the animals position and activity. And detailed enough that you fan turn off the hud and simply observe an animals behavior and body language to determine its health, alertness, and tell if they can hear/smell/see you depending on its body language, and things like tail flicks and ear twitches, which they also use to alert other members of the herd.

It's also very VERY much a sim, not an arcadey sandbox like COTW, and made for a different audience. Mainly thos who have a lot of time and patience to devote to a hunt, and want the most realistic hunting experience. You may play for an hour, and not even SEE an animal, let alone harvest one. Some hunts take multiple play sessions over the course of days, depending on how much time you have to play. When you do take a shot, though, the animals react very realistically, with a more accurately modeled system which includes veins and arteries. It's not simply a health system like COTW. A significant enough hit and the animal will bleed out, even if it makes it hundreds of yards away.

Tracking is represented really well, with the type and color of blood depending on the hit. Arterial blood has a much pinker look due to its high oxygenation. Lung hits will also be lighter, and have some bubbles in it. A gunshot will have digestive/fecal materials mixed in the blood, and other shots which don't hit anything significant will just be standard blood. As for the blood trails, threads directional splatters, little dribbles of blood in between bigger spots, where you can visually track from the blood trail from the droplets which drag towards the way the animal was running. The blood will also leave smears on vegetation and stuff as they pass through, sou you don't just lose them in the brush.

It's really not in the same class as COTW, though they both have a hunting theme, the way they depict it and the core gameplay is very different, and COTW isn't for everyone, but it appeals to the more hardcore simulation crowd, and those who hunt in real life, due to the games accuracy in depicting a hunt, along with the pros and cons it has IRL, including failed hunts and long periods of time without even seeing a damn thing, and animals who are very keen and aware. You really want to wait out and call in animals, you can't really stalk and walk like on COTW. Also, COTW had been around for YEARS, compared to WOTH being like 8 months.

One hour isn't NESRLY enough time to get a feel for the game, as the simplest things usually take longer to do that that on WOTH, and you very much have to devote a significant amount of time to it, and also feel like being very patient, and not looking for immediate action. If a more hardcore sim DOES appeal to you, I'd recommending trying it again, but getting the ultimate edition with all the DLC maps. Especially since an African map is releasing in the next few weeks. Also, there are certain sites where you can buy the ultimate edition for only $20 to $25. You probably know the type of sites I'm referring to, but not sure if I can posy them or not.

[Geronimo]

@ Hairy,

In what way does no dynamic tracks make WOTH a sim?

When you go hunting in the woods IRL can you find an animal's tracks and follow them? Of course you can. Not in WOTH.

How are zombie hypnotized-when-called animals realistic?

Have you ever even called in a deer in WOTH?


How does herds of deer being totally removed from the game by the AI to simulate hunting pressure make WOTH a realistic sim?

As far as I know deer herds don't get taken from the forest during hunting season. But for some reason you think this is realistic.

And than you have the nerve to call CoTW an arcade game.

Try playing CoTW without any assists turned on and than let us know all about how arcadey it is lol.

I'm starting to wonder if Hairy Mouse isn't hired by the ten people still playing WOTH to slander their competition.

[misfitsailor]

Anyone who calls COTW an "arcade game" has clearly never been to a video arcade. The gang on the WOTH forum like to say this, and defend the game with religious fervor. I enjoy both games, but I am not in a cult. The COTW experience is more enjoyable for me than anything similar at this time.

[Hoghead]

Originally posted by misfitsailor:

Anyone who calls COTW an "arcade game" has clearly never been to a video arcade. The gang on the WOTH forum like to say this, and defend the game with religious fervor. I enjoy both games, but I am not in a cult. The COTW experience is more enjoyable for me than anything similar at this time.

Good points...And I have both hunting "games" but prefer COTW because of the game play and I find almost zero issues with the graphic.

[James]

^^ Same here,

WOTH was fun to try and I do wish Nine Rocks Games the best in trying to elevate the game-play. There are some strong points to the game (render distance, herd management etc.) but in my book it fell short in key areas like overall graphics (generic issues with 3rd party UE4 + clues design choice), map design (feels like Disneyland) audio (environmental audio playing loops completely out of context) and (no) antler variation (as compared to COTW TruRacs). Small things like walking speed, extensive repeating of vegetation assets + thin vegetation cover, simple sky-box (weak cloud sprites), "animals-on-rails", and occasional animal model's "morphing".

It came across as a "cheap" console hunting game to me, even if that was not the intention, and I appreciate that others have a completely different/reverse opinion. I hope that the dedicated playerbase of WOTH is enough to inspire NRG to continue develop their game and thus provide a bit of competition to EW and COTW.

[AlfalphaCat]

The, is it a sim is it not a sim, is such a tired argument for every game genre. It can easily be argued that every game, not just video games, is a simulation.

Video games have a unique limitation of not being able to simulate all five sense, because it can only real convey two. Sight and sound. To immerse you in the game it has to represent many disparate things with just those two. Although tactile can be worked in, like say Duck Hunt with the Zapper, it won't be effective. No recoil, no smoke, no heft to the weapon. Also that then limits movement options. Not gonna get into VR, but as of present it works pretty much the same as sitting down at a PC, with a modified control scheme.

Both WOTH and COTW are hunting simulations that make different choices on how to convey information to the player. The level of detail or 'realism' is really a secondary consideration to gameplay.

The fact that COTW is a sandbox is what makes it arcadey, because the player chose to play it that way. We all know that is far from the only option. There is a myriad of ways you can play this game, from overly micromanaged arcade rail shooter, to no hud, no cue hard core sim using muzzleloader and bows. Heck I roleplay in my head with it all the time. It's up to you.

One of the biggest comparisons I see is the growth factor in WOTH hunter versus HM RNG(not actually RNG, but that's a whole 'nother topic) in COTW. In all actuality they are achieving the exact same goal with opposing methods. COTW, kill the big stuff, get bigger stuff. WOTH kill little stuff, get bigger stuff. No difference in outcome, just style. They both give you numbers that represent the same outcomes. They are just swapped.

The only real difference is confined play versus sandbox. I think we can all figure out which is which.

I don't understand why people aren't allowed to like and dislike what they do. My liking something doesn't hinder you disliking it in any way, and vice versa. Subjectivity is a matter of reality. Or in other words; opinions are like as**oles, everyone has them, and they all stink. Except Kim Jung Un of course. LOL.

[Secret Squirrel]

To be clear, I did not mess with settings. Can't remember the last time I had to do that. Modern games should do a good job of setting the settings for the hardware. COTW included -- does a great job setting the settings.

But alas, I did a little to turn off motion blur and a few others to see if it would be less on the eyes. But then I stopped myself and said "not my job".

I didn't take screen shots, but the statements I made about the graphics are not opinion or subjective. Grainy, blurry, pixelated, etc.

I would not have even tried WOTH if not for so many claiming its graphics are better, so that is why I bring it up here. I don't usually go into a games forums when I have found it so unacceptable to have refunded it.

This reminds me of the ever ongoing debates over X-Plane vs MSFS 2020. I sit back and laugh because I have and use both.... and I know which one I should use for whatever mood I am in or what my objectives are.

I was really looking forward to having both, enjoying each for what they are, etc. but I can't justify what I spent for what I saw.

[astreamuser]

The graphics in COTW are also a horrible mess at this point. Blurry, pixelated, full of anti-aliasing artifacts. Not very different from WOTH. COTW also has very bad drawing distance.

That said, there were many things in WOTW that killed the fun for me.
1) Weird tracking mechanics. The constant turning off-on the hunter sense and having to spend time looking for tracks that are not easily distinguishable just gave me a headache after few mins. This was the biggest let down.
2) Weird spooking mechanics. Stop, go, stop, go, stop, go if you don't want to spook animals. You can't even use the environment to hide.
3) Non dynamic needs zones.
4) Inability to track animals. Clues are there only to lead you to need zones.

To me it looks as if the devs tried to simplify things so that the code is easily maintained without breaking many things. This decision makes the game automatically harder and as a consequence more "realistic "according to some people.

And while many people may prefer how the game works or looks, at the end of the day, most casual players want an easily accessible and fun game. Personally i didn't find that in WOTH.

[yogisgoat]

Perhaps it's something with my system, but I find WOTH to be constant micro-stutter. To the point I have to stop playing or I'll get sick. COTW has it's faults but on my system it runs at a buttery smooth 120fps @1440p.

[Secret Squirrel]

I don't get blurry/pixellated etc. in COTW.

But yeah, I saw some stuttering in WOTH. If that was all that was wrong, I'd have been more patient and understanding, as those kinds of things can take some time to work out.

[Uneazy]

"I am a dev by trade"

"I didn't mess with the video settings because do it for me"

are you perhaps developing games for the gameboy?

[James]

Originally posted by yogisgoat:

Perhaps it's something with my system, but I find WOTH to be constant micro-stutter. To the point I have to stop playing or I'll get sick. COTW has it's faults but on my system it runs at a buttery smooth 120fps @1440p.

Originally posted by Secret Squirrel:

I don't get blurry/pixellated etc. in COTW.
But yeah, I saw some stuttering in WOTH. If that was all that was wrong, I'd have been more patient and understanding, as those kinds of things can take some time to work out.

The stutter is typical for the UE4 graphics engine used in WOTH. It's the same with all games using UE4 for "open world" games. Unreal was (at first) developed for linear "tunnel/corridor" games so memory handling is a weak point when it comes to "open environments" since it has to load big chunks (forests etc.) instead of a narrow corridor... Hence the stutter.

I do not experience any artifacts in COTW. Maybe some of the newer cards and drivers have these issues? Apex was developed for the open world concept (similar to the Enfusion or Prism3D engine) so that's why it is butter smooth...